Here are ten comments about David Cameron that were made by participants in the ConservativeHome Members’ Panel.

1. To date I have to say that I am very pleased with the way David Cameron has settled into the role of Party Leader and the way he has started the difficult task of modernising the Party. There is still a long way to go and there can be no doubts that not all members will be pleased with the direction the Party takes, but all credit to the man – his energy, enthusiasm and vigour show no signs of abating.

2. David Cameron has started with a huge fund of goodwill. He seems to be deliberately testing the party to see how much unwelcome medicine it can endure, and is perhaps trying to get the worst of it (e.g. grammar schools) out of the way early. So far he retains my support on balance.

3. Thanks for the survey. I think it’s early days yet for David
Cameron – but he is keen and is being seen as someone with ideas. He
has made bold statements and even our Labour and Lib Dem Councillors
here are worried by his growth in popularity and his new modernising
agenda. I know some members are worried, but I think DC is making the
right moves and noises.

4. David has started an in-depth review in the Party of real root
causes of issues in this country. We should give him our unstinting
support even if we don’t instinctively agree with his position on every
issue. One of the perceived problems with the Conservative Party in
recent years is superficiality. We talk about not wanting to be ruled
by Brussels, loving our country (as if everyone else doesnt), being
overrun with immigrants and going back to Matrons and Bobbies on the
beat. These are soundbites which don’t address the fact that we are
where we are and we have to move forward in the context of a more
complex social and global environment in the 21st Century.

5. Cameron is right to believe that the Conservative brand is
tarnished. But he is wrong about the reasons. The policies in which we
fought the last two elections are popular. So there is nothing to be
gained by junking them. Our recent history – the recession of the early
90s, sleaze, lack of charismatic leadership infighting, and the Blair
phenomenon – explains our failure. Cameron has the personality to be
the change. But he will get nowhere unless he fights for Conservative
beliefs.

6. There is still a LONG way to go, but at last there is SOMEONE
leading the Conservative Party who makes me inclined to get involved in
politics again. I haven’t felt like doing ANYTHING to help the
Conservatives since leaving university in 1997 but want to do all I can
to make sure David Cameron is living at No 10 Downing Steet and NOT
Gordon Brown after the next election.

7. David Cameron has the right instincts, but he needs to realise
being more focused on issues like public sector reform, helping those
on low incomes, and the environment require a distinctive Conservative
approach rather than always adopting New Labour’s reasoning. That said,
it is better to be politically too close to the centre and win with
some useless mushy policies in the manifesto, (such as being flaky on
school choice), than be politically too far out to the right and lose
on the basis of right wing policies which aren too extreme and are
poorly thought out in any case ( i.e. the patient’s passport).

8.
I think that David Cameron is moving the party forward on social
justice and the rich business elite image of the party, which is what
made them so unpopular for a while. He also adds a good youthful and
competent image to the party. I would caution however that the
Conservatives have always been strong on family issues and personal
morality and do not need to change on this front. If they seek to
provide a genuine alternative in this area as well, then the embracing
of traditional Christian morality should not be shied away from.

9. David Cameron is a breath of fresh air to a Party that has
drifted further and further away from the British people. The lack of
direction and appeal has enabled Blair to press ahead and sneak in his
nanny state policies. At last we have a chance for good sensible
government of this country once again. Let’s help it work!

10. David Cameron has freed his own mind from the paradigms that
have driven Conservative policy making in recent decades. He is
approaching policy making in an open minded and fair minded way. He has
brought a breath of fresh air into the Conservative Party.